A close up of the face of of this red, white and blue beauty. Image by the author.
A couple of weeks ago, I opened my email to find out that our friends at Luminox had just released three new watches as part of their collaboration with Volition America. On the off chance you’ve never heard of Volition America, they sell a variety of patriotic-themed gear (apparel, sunglasses, watches, golf clubs, and more) from well-known companies and donate a portion of every sale to the Folds of Honor Scholarship Foundation.
When I saw that the sales benefitted Folds of Honor, I had to check them out. My son has had the good fortune of being one of their scholarship recipients all four years he’s been in college. Their generosity has made it possible for him to attend an excellent private school that otherwise would have been out of reach. Their programs change lives.
So, I figured I’d get my hands on one of these unique, brand-new timepieces and review it for all of you.
At first glance, you can tell it’s an iconic Navy SEALDive Watch. This particular model is the Luminox X Volition Navy SEAL Set. More on what constitutes the rest of the set shortly. The midnight black case and 120-click unidirectional rotating bezel are made from CARBONOX, ensuring the piece weighs in at a quite sturdy and manageable 71 grams. What is CARBONOX? Glad you asked. It’s Luminox’s trademarked carbon compound material which, according to the company, “consists of carbon long bars or carbon powder in varying percentages, depending on the model.” The result is a highly durable, lightweight case that absolutely will not reflect light.
I’ve given the watch a whole week and a half of wrist time, day and night. After the first hour, I almost forgot I was wearing it; that’s how comfortable the strap is. It’s thick and made of genuine rubber, allowing it to conform perfectly to the wearer’s wrist. The top surface is textured, providing it with a visually interesting element. At first, I thought it might be a lint magnet, but it is not, as you can see from these close-up photos I took immediately after taking it off my wrist. A second US flag-inspired NATO strap is included with the set. The NATO strap has branded hardware, as does the rubber one.
Admittedly, it was impossible to do the lume on this watch justice by taking a pic of it in my bedroom closet using an iPhone. It just didn’t provide the quality image I wanted, and the photo from the manufacturer more closely reflects what it looks like in real life. Blue tubes are found at all of the numeral markers (except the 12 o’clock position, which is white) and on the hour and second hands. White tubes are placed on the minute hand and at twelve. If you look closely, you’ll notice the smaller tritium-filled tube on the rotating bezel at the 12 o’clock position. It is covered by a piece of protective sapphire. The lume setup on this watch allows you to do precision timing in total darkness.
By now, you are probably wondering about some of the stats for the piece: allow me to oblige.
A couple of weeks ago, I opened my email to find out that our friends at Luminox had just released three new watches as part of their collaboration with Volition America. On the off chance you’ve never heard of Volition America, they sell a variety of patriotic-themed gear (apparel, sunglasses, watches, golf clubs, and more) from well-known companies and donate a portion of every sale to the Folds of Honor Scholarship Foundation.
When I saw that the sales benefitted Folds of Honor, I had to check them out. My son has had the good fortune of being one of their scholarship recipients all four years he’s been in college. Their generosity has made it possible for him to attend an excellent private school that otherwise would have been out of reach. Their programs change lives.
So, I figured I’d get my hands on one of these unique, brand-new timepieces and review it for all of you.
At first glance, you can tell it’s an iconic Navy SEALDive Watch. This particular model is the Luminox X Volition Navy SEAL Set. More on what constitutes the rest of the set shortly. The midnight black case and 120-click unidirectional rotating bezel are made from CARBONOX, ensuring the piece weighs in at a quite sturdy and manageable 71 grams. What is CARBONOX? Glad you asked. It’s Luminox’s trademarked carbon compound material which, according to the company, “consists of carbon long bars or carbon powder in varying percentages, depending on the model.” The result is a highly durable, lightweight case that absolutely will not reflect light.
I’ve given the watch a whole week and a half of wrist time, day and night. After the first hour, I almost forgot I was wearing it; that’s how comfortable the strap is. It’s thick and made of genuine rubber, allowing it to conform perfectly to the wearer’s wrist. The top surface is textured, providing it with a visually interesting element. At first, I thought it might be a lint magnet, but it is not, as you can see from these close-up photos I took immediately after taking it off my wrist. A second US flag-inspired NATO strap is included with the set. The NATO strap has branded hardware, as does the rubber one.
Admittedly, it was impossible to do the lume on this watch justice by taking a pic of it in my bedroom closet using an iPhone. It just didn’t provide the quality image I wanted, and the photo from the manufacturer more closely reflects what it looks like in real life. Blue tubes are found at all of the numeral markers (except the 12 o’clock position, which is white) and on the hour and second hands. White tubes are placed on the minute hand and at twelve. If you look closely, you’ll notice the smaller tritium-filled tube on the rotating bezel at the 12 o’clock position. It is covered by a piece of protective sapphire. The lume setup on this watch allows you to do precision timing in total darkness.
By now, you are probably wondering about some of the stats for the piece: allow me to oblige.
Origin: Swiss Made (as noted on either side of the six o’clock hour marker)
Case Diameter: 45mm
Case Material: CARBONOX
Case Height: 14mm
Crown: Made from CARBONOX, screw-down with a double security gasket. Branded with the Luminox logo
Bezel: CARBONOX 120-click unidirectional dive bezel with no back play. A Luminox Light Technology (LLT) tube is embedded at 12 o’clock, and a sapphire crystal covers it.
Crystal: Sapphire
Movement: Swiss Quartz
Battery Life: 50 months
Water Resistance: 20 atmospheres (which equals 200 meters or 660 feet). Each timepiece is individually tested for the advertised water resistance
Illumination: 16 strategically positioned tritium-filled gas-filled LLT tubes that will provide a constant glow for up to 25 years.
If you’re a watch lover like me, adding one of these to your collection is a no-brainer. You might even want to gift one of these to a patriotic friend or family member. If you do, let me thank you in advance for helping disabled vets like myself and our families by contributing to the Folds of Honor Foundation. It’s a rare win-win situation.
To order the Luminox X Volition Navy SEAL Set, click here.
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